Born and reared in Dallas, Texas, Shirley Demus Tarpley, AKA Sister and Mother Tarpley, believes in a commitment to God, family, church, education and the community. She grew up in a home that consisted of her godly parents (Mr. Lloyd David and Mrs. Cedella Baker Demus), four sisters and three brothers.
Sister Tarpley was educated in segregated schools in Dallas; she attended elementary and middle schools, and in 1959 she graduated from Booker T. Washington High School (known today as Booker T. Washington Arts Magnet in North Dallas) which was one of only three African American High Schools in the Dallas Independent School District (DISD.)
She graduated from Prairie View A & M University, a Historical Black College & University (HBCU) in Prairie View, Texas, with a Bachelors of Science Degree in Business Education and a Minor Degree in Economics.
After graduation from college, she married and began working for Collins Radio Company (the name was changed to Rockwell International) as a Production Secretary. The company was contracted by the United States’ government to produce the communication system for their first space ship launched by the U.S. Space Program. This is one of the highlights in her life, because she received the highest security clearance from the federal government to work on the project.
In 1965 she and the late Mr. Lorenzo Tarpley moved to Carrollton, Texas, and purchased their first home, which at the time was a small suburban town of only 9,000 plus residents; today its population is approximately 150,000 and Blacks comprised of approximately six percent of its population; it was still geographically segregated, making the Tarpley’s the first Black family to integrate the “all-white” section of town.
Sister Tarpley integrated R. L. Turner High School (RLT), the only high school in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch I.S.D. (C-FBISD) at the time. With the exception of her first year of teaching at RLT, she was voted one of the Top 10 Teachers by each senior class until she transferred to the new high school.
In 1978 she integrated Newman Smith High School (NSHS) the second high school built in C-FBISD; she remained at NSHS until her retirement in 1996.
She and her husband had two children, a son, Jarrell Edwin, a graduate of RLT and the University of North Texas University (UNT) in Denton, Texas. Jarrell was a standout, award winning football player and attended UNT on a full football scholarship. He had the honor of being on the prestigious and highly covered Texas All Star Football Team from the North; only 30 are selected from all of the high schools in Texas each year. He lives in Venus, Texas with his wife, Cleo Spann Tarpley, they have one son.
Her daughter Sheila Donnise is a graduate of RLT and Texas Woman’s University (TWU) in Denton, Texas, was a standout cheerleader in Peewee, Junior High and Senior High Schools (she integrated all three cheerleading squads.) Sheila was honored by the RLT Football Team as their personal Sweetheart her junior and her senor years. She was the first Black and only cheerleader honored with this title two years in a row, and this honor stands today. Sheila attended TWU on an academic scholarship. She is married to William (Bill) Lott; they have three children, and they live in Carrollton, Texas. Sheila is also a minister in the gospel.
Sister Tarpley is the proud grandmother of four: Tyanna Donnise, David Edward, and Philip Immanual Lott and Deven Jaquan Tarpley.
In 1991 she became the first Black female to integrate and serve on the Carrollton City Council. In 1993 she ran unopposed for council and received the second highest votes in the history of Carrollton’s elections. This record stands to this day. In 1995 she became the first Black to serve as Mayor Pro Tem for the City of Carrollton.
Sister Tarpley received her Master’s Certificate in Dispute Resolution (Mediation, Negotiation, and Arbitration) from Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas.
In 2001 she became the first Religious Editor for the North Dallas Gazette weekly newspaper in Plano, Texas–“North Dallas’ Weekly Paper of Choice.” She continues to serve in that position.
Her parents taught her to take pride in her heritage, to strive for the best in everything you do, to accept all people as they are, and to love and trust God above everybody and everything else. She continues to live by the teachings of her late parents and has always shared this philosophy with her children, her family, her church, school and her community.
Sister Tarpley is a proud member of Bethel Bible Fellowship Church in Carrollton, Texas where her spiritual guidance is lead by Dr. Terrance Woodson, Senior Pastor and Sister Ve Woodson is the First Lady; the Associates pastors are Larry (Chap) Gardner and Brenda Patterson
Throughout Sister Tarpley’s 75 years she has received many awards, accolades and “firsts” in her teaching profession and life:
1. The six child born of eight children, she was the first to go and graduate from college.
2. Personal Secretary for her Church’s Senior Pastor.
3. Church Announcer.
4. Sunday School Superintendent at church.
5. Sunday School Teacher at church.
6. 1993, KDFW-TV, Channel 4, selected Mrs. Tarpley as their first “Class Act” Teacher in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) Metroplex.
7. First Black Board Member of Carrollton’s Park Board.
8. Executive Board of the City of Carrollton Bi-Centennial Commission.
9. Executive Board Member of Carrollton’s Peewee Football Association.
10. Executive Board Member of Carrollton’s Peewee Cheerleader Association.
11. Peewee Team Mother for many of Carrollton’s football and cheerleader teams.
12. Executive Board Member of the Parents, Teachers & Students
Associations (PTSAs) at Central Elementary School, Dewitt Perry Jr. Middle School and R. L. Turner High School.
13. Senior Class Sponsor at Newman Smith High School (NSHS).
14. Junior Cheerleader Team Sponsor at NSHS.
15. PTSA Member at NSHS.
16. Co-Sponsor of NSHSs ACT-SO Organization of the NAACP.
17. Sponsor of Black History Programs in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch I.S.D.
18. Instrumental in bringing the first Black History Class to C-FBISD.
19. Instrumental in C-FBISD honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with the schools being closed for his federal holiday each year.
20. Executive Board Member of Carrollton’s Country Fair Committee
21. Honored for contributions to C-FBISD by Christ Community Connection
(CCC), a non-profit community organization in Carrollton.
Ms. Tarpley was one of my favorite teachers at RLTurner. She was kind enough to come to my father’s funeral 5 years ago. It was so nice to see her again. Sending hugs to her family.
All I can say is WOW! I grew up with the Tarpleys and I remember Ms Tarpley always always at our football games with her mega phone cheering for our team. Jarrel was my childhood friend a d all I knew at the time was that he had a really cool Mom. She was always fixing Sheila’s hair. LoL
Love you Shirley Tarpley!!!
“Fingers ready!!!” I still hear it to this day!! Loved Mrs Tarpley though she was hard as nails on us! Fantastic role model.
Ms. Tarpley understood… Being left handed in a world of right handedness was not easy.